Urhobo group heads for court to secure seat

A group of Urhobo political stakeholders has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege by the Senate.

The plaintiffs enjoined Senator Omo-Agege not to appear before any committee of the Senate to defend himself. Others joined as defendants are Senate President Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, the Senate, Clerk of the Senate, the Department of State Services, the Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police and Senator Omo-Agege.

In their affidavit of claim, they aver that the Urhobo ethnic group domiciled in Delta Central Senatorial District “is entitled as a right to be represented at all times by an elected senator like other senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to protect the interests of the Senatorial District and its constituents, in the day to day legislative functions of the Senate.”

They are also seeking a declaration “that the rights of the people of Delta Central Senatorial District to an unfettered representation in the legislative business of the Senate by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege constitutionally guaranteed for a tenure of four years cannot be abridged, diminuted, suspended, abrogated and or vitiated, except as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution (as amended.)

They also seeking a declaration that “under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the plaintiffs’ elected senator (Senator Ovie Omo-Agege), representing Delta Central Senatorial District cannot be made to vacate office otherwise than as provided for by sections 68 and 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

– A declaration that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has no power under the 1999 Constitution as amended to suspend from office any Senator, and in particular, the 8th Defendant representing the Plaintiffs and other constituents of Delta Central Senatorial District in the Senate.

The constituents are asking the court to determine whether the plaintiffs and other constituents of Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State are entitled to unfettered representation by an elected representative in the upper legislative House of the National Assembly.

They are also asking the court to determine whether by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended whether a senator can be removed from or made to vacate his seat by way of suspension from office.